Adjustable stair rail tee



Jan. 5, 1932. c J, SOMMER 7 1,839,711

ADJUsTABLE STAIR RAIL TEE Filed m 12, 1931 MOI/"14,0-

Patented Jan. 5, I932 PATENT OFFICE CHARLES J. SOMMER, or WILLIAMsPQR'r,PENNSYL ANIA ADJUSTABLE srAIR iaArL TEE Application filed May 12,

In securing spindles of stairway railings to the hand rails, steps,landings and floors, it is customary to bore spindle-receiving openingsin the steps, landings and floors,

cut the spindles to proper lengths and place their iower ends in theopenings, temporarily anchor the hand rail in proper position, plumb thespindles and mark the rail at the upper ends thereof, remove the rail,bore the 1 openings in the latter for the upper ends of the spindles,replace the rail and insert the upper ends of said spindles into therail openings, and finally anchor the rail. Such procedure entails agreat deal of time and care and it is the object of my invention toprovide an improved connection between the spindles and the hand rail,by means of which a great saving in time, labor and care may beefifected.

With the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subjectmatter hereinafter described and claimed, description being accomplishedby reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing one of the improved Ts in use forconnecting a spindle with an inclined hand rail.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view partly in elevationthrough the T shown in Fig. 1, and adjacent portions of the hand railand spindle.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the spindle carried sleeve.

Fig. i is a perspective View of the railcarried plate.

Fig. 5 is a detail side elevation showing the form of T employed betweena horizontal rail and a spindle.

An attaching plate 6 is provided having openings 7 to receive screws 8bymeans of which it may be secured to an inclined hand rail 9 (Figs. 1and 2), or a horizontal hand rail 9 (Fig. 5). The plate 6 isprovidedwith a central downwardly projecting boss 10, said boss beingsubstantially cylindrical but having a rounded lower end 11. In thepreferred construction, the plate 6 and the boss 11 are stamped at oneoperation from a single piece of sheet metal which may be suitablyfinished to agree with or harmonize with the hard- 1931; Serial No.536,853.

w'are used inthe house in which the invention is to be employed.

A thin metal sleeve 12 is employed for connecting the inclined rail 9with each spindle 13, and a somewhat different sleeve 12 is 5 used forconnecting the horizontal hand rail 9 with each vertical spindle 13. Thesleeve 12 or sleeve 12 is preferably finished in the same manner as theplate 6 to present a good appearance. p

The sleeve 12 slidably though snugly receives the upper end of thespindle 13, and the upper end of said sleeve is provided with twodiametrically opposite upstanding lugs 14. The upper edge of the sleeve12 between the lugs 14, is straight andhorizontal through outsubstantially half the circumference of the sleeve, as shown at 15;Substantially the other circumferential half of the upper edge of thesleeve declines from the lugs 14 as 7 shown at 16, and in use issubstantially parallel with the plate 6. The boss 11 is seated upon theedge portion 16 of the sleeve 12, extends into the upper end of saidsleeve and has its rounded end 11 lying against the in her side of thesleeve along the edge 15, so that the boss closesthe upper end of thesleeve and willnot allow the latter to collect dustordirt. The boss 11is'connected with the ears 14: by a pivot pin 17 passing throughopenings 18 in said boss and through openings19 in said ears, the endsof the pin being preferably filed off flush with theperiphery of thesleeve 12. The lower portion of the sleeve 12 is formedwith smallopenings such as 20, through which attaching nails such as 21, may bedriven into the spindle 13 to finally connect said sleeve and spindles.

The sleeve 12 shown in Fig. 5, is similar to the sleeve 12 but isprovided with a square- 9 ly cut upper end. This upper end of the sleeve12- will receive the boss 11' of the plate 6 when the latter is attachedto a horizontal rail 9*. I

In usingthe invention, the spindles are mounted at their lower ends inthe usual way, the sleeves 12 or 12 with the plates 6 con- .nectedthereto, are engaged with the upper ends of said spindles,.and the handrail 9 or ;9"- is permanently secured in .place.- The 3 spindles 13 01'13 are now plumbed one at a time and when any one is at its exactposition, the associated plate 6 is secured to the rail by the screws 8.Incident to plumbing the spindles, each sleeve 12 or 12 will have toslide somewhat upon its spindle, particularly when connecting the latterwith an inclinedhand rail, and after the spindle has been properly setand the plate 6 secured, the sleeve is fastened by small nails such as21, to the spindle, thus establishing a rigid and sightly connectionbetween spindle and rail, and saving a great deal of time,labor andcare, now required in stairway construction.

The details disclosed are preferably followed, but within the scope ofthe invention as claimed, variations may be made.

1. An adjustable stair rail'tee comprising a plate having, openingstoreceive fasteners for attaching it to the lower side of a rail, saidplate having a downwardly projecting boss, a thin metal sleeve whoseupper end receives said boss, and a pivot pin passing through said bossand sleeve, the lower end of said sleeve being adapted to slidablyreceive the upper end of a spindle and having an opening to receive afastener for securing said sleeve and spindle together after plumb} ingsaid spindle.

2. An adjustable'stair rail tee comprising an inclined plate havingopenings to receive fasteners for attaching it to the lower side of aninclined rail, said plate being provided with a downwardly projectingboss, a vertical thin metal sleeve whose upper end receives said boss,said sleeve having an inclined upper edge substantially parallel withsaid plate, and a pivotpin passing through saidboss and sleeve, thelower end of said sleeve being adapted to slidably receive the upper endof a spindle and having an open ing to receive a fastener for securingsaid sleeve and spindle together after plumb-ing said spindle.

3. An adjustable stair rail tee comprising an inclined plate havingopenings to receive fasteners for attaching it to the lowerside of aninclined rail, saidiplate being provided with a downwardly projectingsubstantially cylindrical boss perpendicular to said plate and having aroundedlower end, a vertical thin metal sleeve having two diametricallyopposed upstanding ears at its upper end, the upper edge of said sleevebeing horizontal between said ears throughout substantially half thecircumference of the sleeve and being declined from said ears throughoutsubstantiallythe other 'halfof said circumference, said platebeingdisposed over said sleeve substantially parallel with said declined edgeportion thereo:f,.said boss being snugly received in the upper endof-said sleeve and having its rounded lower end disposed against theinner side ofthe sleeve

